By Romeo San Vicente
Shankman Sails with "Sinbad"
From big screen confections like "Hairspray" to the subversive online delight "Prop. 8: The Musical," gay director Adam Shankman thrives on spectacle. So it's a no-brainer that the box-office-friendly filmmaker would want to resurrect a vintage crowd-pleasing hero like high-seas adventurer Sinbad. Shankman's been hired to direct "The 8th Voyage of Sinbad," and he's eager for the project to leave port and start sailing soon. Getting a leading man confirmed would help – though both Keanu Reeves and Vin Diesel have been attached to the project, neither are currently signed, and there's no guarantee they will. Of course, if this long-in-development project creeps along at the pace it's been moving, the kid from "Two and a Half Men" will soon be old enough to play Sinbad. So like everything in Hollywood, it'll happen when the stars align.
Chenoweth Leaps from "Daisies" to "Legally Mad"
Actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth is currently dominating the competition in the running to be America's next top gay-adored celebrity. She's endeared herself to queer fans with her lead role in Broadway's "Wicked," her hilarious (and often tuneful) role on the brilliantly inventive and now tragically cancelled "Pushing Daisies," and the shockingly funny online musical "Intervention," a parody involving a gay meth-head who needs show tunes to guide him to rehab. And for "Daisies" fans who need a regular TV fix of the tiny, sassy lady, Chenoweth has already lined up a new TV gig. She'll co-star on "Legally Mad," a new lawyer show from David E. Kelley, as sprightly attorney Skippy Pylon, the daughter of the head of a big Chicago law firm. Skippy is described as an occasionally psychotic woman who enjoys being mistaken for a teenager. Sounds perfect! Look for the show on NBC.
Oxygen Is "Addicted to Beauty"
What hath "Sunset Tan" wrought? That compellingly trashy reality series about the everyday dramas and intrigues of life in a Hollywood tanning salon was just the gateway drug for fans of dazzlingly ridiculous reality TV. In other words, get ready for the human apocalypse of "Addicted to Beauty," Oxygen's latest reality entry. It's about the inner workings and, no doubt, odd-yet-sexy employees of a medi-spa where women (and those gay guys you see who are really into cosmetic surgery) can come in for a quick little lift, tuck, or Botox injection. Juggling what room is left on the TiVo schedule after this, "Sunset," "Celebrity Rehab," and occasional appearances by Janice Dickinson on QVC will be a difficult maintenance task all its own, but devoted watchers of junk television will surely find a way. Watch for ads featuring overplumped lips to begin popping up in cities across the country sometime this year.
Meet "The People I've Slept With"
Romeo admits that his attention is easily captured by a provocative title, but that's not the only reason to get excited about the upcoming feature "The People I've Slept With." For one thing, it's directed by queer filmmaker Quentin Lee, whose provocative and compelling filmography includes festival faves like the hilarious "Shopping for Fangs," "Drift," and the lovers-on-the-run epic "Ethan Mao." This time around, Lee has assembled a cast that includes gay hottie Wilson Cruz, veteran actor James Shigeta ("Flower Drum Song," "Die Hard"), and up-and-coming indie performers Karin Anna Cheung ("Better Luck Tomorrow") and Danny Vasquez ("Quinceanera") for the sexy ensemble comedy. Be on the lookout for this one when film-festival season rolls around in the spring – and maybe bring someone you've slept with to see it.
